PREMIER ONE PREVIEW: Recruits add weight to Corsham’s claims

CORSHAM skipper Pete Dennett reckons his side should be aiming to reclaim their place in the Wadworth 6X West of England Premier League’s top flight after being boosted by a number of new recruits.

The Station Road club remain Wiltshire’s only Premier One representatives and have significantly strengthened their squad over the winter.

Former captain and 2014 Wiltshire skipper Mike Coles has returned to the club and is joined by all-rounder Paul Robbins, who has arrived from Keynsham.

Left-arm spinner Simon Crampton has arrived from Surrey and seam bowler Jon Parker, who is with the Royal Navy, has also returned to the club he played for in the 2006-07 campaign.

Corsham have also added Australian opening swing bowler Kapelan Kulendranathan for his first British season as the club’s overseas player.

Dennett said: “We’re pretty happy and positive with the people we’ve brought in.

“We’re a young squad. Last year the average age was about 23 for the first team and it’s probably going to be a bit below that this time around. There’s the nucleus of our squad there for the next few years.’’

A change to the Premier One division this season means that while the top side will again be crowned champions, there will also be an end-of-season play-off tournament for the top four clubs.

Dennett, whose side host Taunton St Andrews in their opening league game on Saturday, said: “The standard (in the league) is good and it seems to have gone up again.

“(Champions) Bath are the benchmark, but we’re positive about where we are at and we’re looking to get back into that top four.

“We’ve had a good pre-season and won all of our games and want to go out and enjoy our cricket, but we want to be in that (play-off) competition at the end of the season.’’

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